


The Arc of Conflict, Fragment s14,1: What are you making?

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [99]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Accidents, Engineering, F/F, F/M, Fear, Fear of Death, Gaming, Genetic Engineering, Genetically Engineered Beings, Gods, Hacking, Mistakes, Multi, Oasis (Overwatch), Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Post-Talon, Reaction, Relationship Issues, Revelations, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Strength, open secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21726841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. With no point to additional fighting, the overt war has paused. But covertly, the conflict carries on. The gods, after all, still have a plan, and will do what is needed - one way, or another.With relations between Oasis and Overwatch on the rocks, it's far more difficult now for Hana, Lúcio, and Brigitte to get together. But that won't stop them from trying.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflictis a continuance ofThe Arc of Ascension,The Arc of Creation, andThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. To follow the story as it appears,please subscribe to the series.
Relationships: Brigitte Lindholm/Lúcio Correia dos Santos/Hana "D.Va" Song
Series: Of Gods and Monsters [99]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024
Comments: 31
Kudos: 29





	The Arc of Conflict, Fragment s14,1: What are you making?

**Author's Note:**

> dirtyclaws has launched [a public fan-run _Of Gods and Monsters_ discord server](https://discord.gg/pDZMpVT) and invites everyone to come join it. ^_^

Brigitte stared at the mass of steel, wireform, and what appeared to be be hardlight gimbels of some sort surrounding Hana in the little Concordat workspace she'd borrowed in Bergin. The three of them had met up for an overnight together, this one a little more on the actual downlow than would've been necessary a few months ago, before Russia had pulled off its coup in Iraq.

There was some sort of structure to it, if she let herself be creative, but on the face of it, it didn't seem to make any sense at all.

"What are you making?"

"A mistake!" D.va grinned maniacally, and slapped the power button, hard. The pile of metal began to assemble itself, spinning, around Hana's body, as Brigitte just shook her head, a little nervous, but bemused.

“That thing is _never_ going to stay up,” Lúcio said, walking in from the little kitchenette down the hall, carrying three bottles, one open, two not.

"I agree," Brigitte said, over the rising whine and noise of the assembly.

“I’ll MAKE it stay up!” Hana laughed, adjusting controls and settings too quickly to follow.

“What’s it even supposed to do again?” Lúcio asked, as he offered Brigitte a bottle of Siddni, from Sweden. If nothing else, the refrigerators in Concordat facilities were shockingly well-stocked.

“It’s, like, an anti-strength exoskeleton?" She popped off the cap, and took a sip. "It's another one of her weird controller designs.”

“If you say so,” he said, dubiousness on his face and in his tone. “They’ve been getting pretty crazy, you know? This one looks _really_ nuts.”

"Yeah. The last one exploded on camera."

"I FIXED THAT!" D.va called as the skeleton writhed around her.

“Yeah," Brigitte called back, "maybe, but...” She paused, noticing the hardlight gimbels shimmer, seeming almost to flare. “Uh, Hana, how much voltage are you running on that frame?”

“550 volts! But it’s okay!” D.va said, a little strain in her voice, but mostly excitement. She got that way when anything actually got difficult. “Everything's overclocked!”

Brigitte blinked. “What? Hana, you can’t overclock...”

“Too late! Already did it!”

The assemblage shuddered as D.va wrestled against it, giggling madly, not bringing in her armoured strength, but taking everything else she had to the absolute limits. “I _got_ this!”

“Hana, mozao,” Lúcio said, “that looks _really_ dangerous, are you...”

The _spang_ of steel winging out from the structure and into the wall beside him made him flinch. “MERDA!” he yelled, as Brigitte threw herself atop him, and they scrambled for cover.

“Oops! Sorry!” D.va said, still wrestling with her machine. “I got it though!”

“Hana, no! STOP!” Brigitte shouted, as an overstress whine howled from the power box, and it began to smoke. “STOP!! PLEASE!!”

"I got it!" she insisted, just before the gimbals flared, distorted, shattered, and disappeared, steel flying in all directions, smashing into walls, cabinets, tools flying, the power supply letting loose its magic blue smoke as every component failed at once, maximums exceeded in every way that mattered.

Hana fell to the floor, unhurt, as metal fell from where it had embedded into the ceiling above her. "Shi-bal!!" she said, swearing, as she brushed the metal off her shoulders. "I thought I had it that time!"

"HANA! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

She looked over, and saw Brigitte and Lúcio on the floor, steel rods embedded in the wall behind them, Brigitte still shielding Lúcio with her body, shaking a little before she leapt up, frightened and angry.

“WHAT THE FUCK, HANA?! Do you see this?!” Brigitte demanded, pointing at the beams embedded into the wall. “What were you thinking?! You could’ve killed someone! You almost killed Lúce!”

Hana blinked, confused, as she stepped over the debris, walking towards her lovers. “...what?"

Lúcio pulled himself up, leaning on Brigitte, shaky from the close call with the steel. "Bree, it’s okay, I'm fine, it...”

“No!" Brigtte shouted, gesturing at the wall with her free hand. "It’s not okay! It was stupidly dangerous and you could’ve died!”

Hana just looked confused. “What are you talking about? That wouldn’t kill anybody, it’s just bars.” She pulled one out of the wall and bent it, as if to say, _see?_ “Why are you so...”

She blinked again, her head tilting, not understanding the dismay on both of her lovers’ faces.

“It's _just steel_ ," she insisted. "It wouldn’t kill any of...”

She stopped, realising what she was saying.

“ _You,_ ” Brigitte said, as Lúcio nodded, slowly.

“Us,” Hana agreed, newly sad.

“But it would kill one of _us_ ,” Brigitte insisted. “Instantly.”

Hana shook, suddenly envisioning Lúcio, pinned to the wall, blood cascading from his body, and she began to shake, tears instantly in her eyes, as her hands flew to her face.

“That’s... that’s... that not okay!” she said, a little panic in her voice. “I'm sorry! Oh gods, I'm sorry! We, we, no! You - no! That can’t happen!" Her hands curled into fists. "I won’t let it!”

“Hana, hon, calm down,” Lúcio's voice shook a little as he reached out, and Hana grabbed his hand, and did not feel the connection, which only made everything worse.

“No. No. No.” She grabbed his hand with her other hand, still feeling nothing, as the enormity of what almost happened hit her.

“Ow!” he said. “Hana! Careful!” and she released his hand instantly, and started to cry.

“Honey,” Brigitte said, nervously. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

Hana grabbed her other lover's hand, knowing she’d feel nothing, but did it anyway. “This... this isn’t okay. You _can’t_ get hurt by stuff like this! You _can’t!_ ”

“But we can, Hana,” Brigitte said. “We will. You know that.”

“No! No. I mean, yeah, you will, but - that's not okay. We have to fix it!" She looked around, eyes darting from tool to tool, none of which would fix anything, and then she looked up, determination in her blued steel eyes. "You gotta be like me! That's what would do it. I haven’t said it but I’ve felt it for a long time and, and, that’s, that’s how! That’d protect you. It’d protect you both! Forever!”

“Uh,” Brigitte said, stepping back, relieved that Hana let her hand go, instantly.

“ _No._ ” Lúcio said, firmly. “Hana?”

Hana looked at her froggo, afraid of what she’d said. Afraid, because she’d meant it, with all her heart.

“ _No._ ”

“...but...”

“No,” Brigitte agreed. _I guess I was right about that bed_ , she thought, a shiver running down her back. _They knew this would happen, sooner or later, didn't they._ “ **No.** ”

Hana slumped to the ground, looking very small, and almost human, and made herself take a breath, and then another, forcing herself to calm down - to _slow_ down - as much as she could.

“...okay.” she whispered. “But...“ she started to say, before she stopped herself. “Okay."

"Where'd this come from, Hana?" Lúcio asked, kneeling down, his voice soft.

"It's been building for a while," Hana said, just as softly. "I meant it. I still do. You could be in Club Strong and everything. But,” she swallowed, hard. “But okay. No.”

" _Why?_ " Brigitte asked, wary. "It's not just this, is it."

Hana shook her head. "No. There's... we share. A little. With touch. Everybody says... that with people you _love..._ that it's..." She looked up. "I can't explain it. But we share. And I can't. With you. And it hurts."

"And if we were like you," Brigitte said, slowly, "then you could."

"Yeah," Hana nodded, relieved to have it finally said, finally out. "Then _we_ could."

"Jesus, Hana," Lúcio managed, standing again, shaking his head. "I don't even know what to say to that."

_Say you'll do it_ , Hana thought, knowing better, and managing to keep it inside. _Please. Please._

"I think we better go," Brigitte said, firmly. "Before... anyone notices where we've been."

_No!_ thought Hana. _No!_ But she nodded, instead, and stood back up, getting ahold of herself, blinking her metallic eyes clear of tears.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I'll, I'll be more careful. From now on."

"I know, hon," Lúcio said, as he and Brigitte shared a glance, and the Swede nodded. "It's okay."

The two of them stepped forward, offering a hug to Hana, and she took it, but it didn't take sharing to feel a new extra layer of reserve...

...that new little layer of fear...

...in their touch.

"I love you guys. I love you so much," Hana whispered. "Please... believe that."

"I know," Brigitte said. "I still love you."

"Me too," Lúcio said. "All relationships take work, but.. this is hard. You know that, girl?"

"Yeah," Hana agreed, forcing herself to relax, trying to imagine how it would feel if they could share, and it helped, if only a little. "I do."

**Author's Note:**

> This is the twenty-eighth instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict_. To follow the story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


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